Too many of Dr. Dick Andzenge’s monthly columns have essentially been fluff pieces praising President Potter. Since he hasn’t figured it out that he’s losing credibility by writing these PR pieces, I’ll tell him. It’s long past time to dismantle Dr. Andzenge’s spin. I wrote this post earlier today. I’m writing this post as a Part II to the same column because there’s that much spin.

For example, this statement isn’t credible:

The finding of no wrongdoing by the Department of Education, as well as recent tossing of complaints against the university by the courts, vindicates [President Potter’s] leadership.

How can Dr. Andzenge say something this verifiably false? This graphic is all that’s needed to utterly demolish Dr. Andzenge’s statement:

According to the Great Place to Work Institute’s Trust Index Survey, professors don’t trust him. When asked if “Management delivers on its promises”, only 26% agreed with that statement. When asked if “Management’s actions match its words”, a pathetic 24% agreed. How can someone say that President Potter’s leadership has been vindicated when three-fourth’s of the faculty think he doesn’t keep his promises or deliver on his promises? Dr. Andzenge’s standard for vindication is miniscule at best.

In order to continue to build the reputation of the university, the president will need to show the same courage in addressing any legitimate complaints that have or will come out of the ongoing hearings regarding the “Best Place to Work” initiative. The president also needs to resolve ongoing internal grievances with similar courage and integrity.

That statement reeks with absurdity. If President Potter wants to rebuild SCSU’s reputation, he needs to start keeping his promises so his actions match his words. Next, his apologists need to stop. It’s time they figured it out that they’re losing credibility whenever they make these flimsy statements. Third, President Potter hasn’t shown any courage in terms of directly addressing legitimate and substantive complaints. His administration’s pattern has been to deny, spin and spin some more. Giving straightforward answers isn’t part of the Potter administration’s repertoire.

Potter’s apologists apparently haven’t figured it out that nobody’s listening. Certainly, students aren’t listening. They’re staying away in droves. At the end of FY2014, FYE enrollment was down 17.8% since the end of FY2010. The continuing declining enrollment says President Potter’s apologists aren’t convincing the students.

This paragraph is intellectually insulting:

Academic faculty and other members of the university family should join not only in simply enjoying the dividends of his creative courage, but join him as ambassadors of this fine institution to the community, the region, the state and the world.

President Potter hasn’t shown courage of any type. He’s flown by the seat of his pants for at least 3 years. “This fine institution” has undergone rebranding operation after rebranding operation. That doesn’t happen at fine institutions.

I’d love hearing how the faculty can “join” Potter as an ambassador for SCSU when President Potter’s reputation, and the University’s reputation, are suffering at historic lows. Having your enrollment drop by one-fifth in 5 years doesn’t happen because of demographics, as Potter and his apologists have suggested. It happens when a university’s reputation suffers because its president isn’t respected.

The students have spoken. They’re avoiding SCSU with consistent frequency. The best way to restore SCSU’s reputation is to remove President Potter and start with someone who’s honest, someone who doesn’t berate students, someone who is a leader, someone with an enrollment plan and someone who won’t spend money foolishly.

That’s when the turnaround will start. It won’t start a minute before that.

Key sentence: “The students have spoken.” Significant numbers must be finding better alternatives somewhere. Does SCSU track visits and inquiries? What percent enroll? Does anyone follow up with the rest, asking “Why not us?”

There’s a lengthy list of professors who virtually genuflect when Potter’s name is mentioned. They’re hoping to get hired into his administration. Mark Jaede & Steve Hornstein highlight that list. Tracey Ore is on that list, too.

The total lack of oversight of the SCSU campus is well beyond embarrassing. Chancellor Rosenstone is AWOL, the trustees are AWOL, and Vice Chair of the Higher Education committee Rep. Zach Dorholt in St. Cloud is AWOL. All he can do is repeat the DFL chanting point, “I kept tuition affordable.” Andzenge’s work was sloppy to say the least. He said the findings of “no wrongdoing by the Department of Education…” According to the Times article quote, it said the Office of Inspector General determined that there appears to be no federal violation” of student loan rules. The article further stated that only a sample of 237 transcripts were reviewed instead of all 900+ transcripts. The Office of Inspector General’s use of the word APPEARS is telling. Indeed, the students have spoken but I guess it was never really about the students in the first place.